Flange-lubricator.



LSQPRATT.

FLANGE LUBRIGATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I, 1911.

Patented May 19, 1914.

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ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LELAND S. PRATT, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

FLANGE-LUBRICATOR.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LELAND S. PRATT, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flange Lubricators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in railroad vehicles and particularly to a means for lubricating the flanges of the drive wheels of locomotives or other railway vehicle wheels, such as electric cars or the like, for the purpose of preventing the wear of said flanges and of the rails against which said flanges bear, the object of the present invention being to produce a lubricating means comprising a supply means having a discharge member discharging against the flange of the wheel, such discharge member being mounted in a swiveled or pivot connection with the supply means whereby the said discharge member will remain always at the throat of the flange, regardless of the lateral action of the wheels relative to the frames of the vehicle or to the rolling motion of the vehicle induced through its spring rigging. I am aware that flange lubricators of a different structure from mine have been patented and are in use whereby this purpose is accomplished, and also in which certain supply means and heating means have been used, which supply and heating means can be and may be incorporated with my invention, hence I will make no claim to the same herein, the particular claims in this application being the swiveled connection above set forth and the cooperative parts in combination therewith.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of Specification of Letters Patent. Patented M y 19 1914 Application filed June 7, 1911.

Serial No. 631,746.

parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views. i

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a flanged wheel showing my improved lubrlcator in position thereon. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my improved swivel joint. Flg. 3 is a sectional view of the same taken relatively on a line X-X of Fig. 2. I Fig. 4: 1s a fragmentary view of the lowerend of the discharge feed member.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, 1 designates the vehicle wheel and 2 the flange thereon.

In using my improved lubricator I connecta supply pipe 4: with any suitable supply means, such as a cup or reservoir 5 or directly with the oil supply tank of the vehicle if there is operated on the vehicle an oil burner, or if desired a reservoir of any de scription may be placed in a convenient location, the oil to be conducted to the pipe 4 by gravity or compressed air or other suitable means.

The pipe 4 may be clamped to the frame of the vehicle by any suitable clamp 6, and I then secure to said pipe 4:, an elbow 7 having a shoulder 8 and a downwardly projecting semicircular flange 9 on its under side. I next provide an elbow 11 which fits over the lower end of the elbow 7 and abuts against the shoulder 8. This elbow 11 is provided with a semicircular recess 12 adapted to receive the flange 9 which structure holds the two members 7 and 11 in swiveled contact one with the other. I then provide in the lower end of the elbow 11 a tubular member 13 which contacts with the flange 2 at the throat thereof, there being a counterweight 141 held in the body of the elbow 11 at any desired point by a set screw 15, which counter weight would at all times hold the said tubular member 13 in contact with the throat of the flange 2. This swivel structure just described cooperated with by the counter weight 14: will, as described, holdsuch tubular member 13 against the throat of the flange 2 regardless of the lateral action of the wheels relative to the frames of the vehicle or of the rolling motion of the vehicle induced through its spring rigging.

The tubular member 13 is curved as shown in order to bring it in against thethroat of the flange substantially as shown in Fig. 1, since it is very essential for proper flange lubrication that the oil must be delivered to the throat of the flange and in no other place, such as the tread or top of the flange, since the wear and friction take place at such throat of the flange.

As before stated, oil may be supplied to the pipe 4 from any suitable supply means, but in this particular application I have shown the reservoir 5 which is now in use on flange lubricators, which reservoir is provided with a steam jacket 16 connected with suitable steam supply pipe 17, and from such steam jacket 16 I take an exhaust lead pipe 18 which discharges upon the member 11, thus keeping the same and the tubular member 13 warm at all times which prevents the oil from gumming or clogging the swivel oint and the tubular member 13.

Between the supply reservoir and the pipe 4 there may be any suitable control valve 19, no claim to the same being made in this application.

On the lower end and on the top side of the tubular member 13 from its end for quite a distance upward, is cut a slot 20, which slot is for the following purpose, namely, in case the tubular member 13 be comes stopped up a knife or other piece of thin material may be inserted in the slot to remove the dirt or deposits from the lower end of the tubular member 13, and further, if the point of the pipe becomes plugged up as suggested, the oil will then run out the slot 20 higher up and follow the pipe down on the outside to the flange which insures the feed even where such above described stoppage occurs.

From the foregoing description it will readily appear that I have produced such a swivel structure and contact for the discharge feed pipe as substantially fulfils the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a part to be lubricated, a supply reservoir, a pipe leading from said supply reservoir, an elbow secured to said pipe, another elbow swiveled to said first named elbow, a tubular member secured to said sec- 011d named elbow and making a downward bend and then extending inwardly and resting on the part to be lubricated, as described.

2. A device of the character described comprising the combination with a part to be lubricated of an oil supply pipe, an elbow secured to said supply pipe, another elbow swiveled to said first named elbow, a tubular member secured to said second named elbow and resting on the part to be lubricated, and a counter weight secured to the body of said second named elbow, as described.

3. A device of the character described comprising the combination with a part to be lubricated of an oil supply pipe, an elbow secured to said supply pipe, another elbow swiveled to said first named elbow, a tubular member secured in said last named elbow and resting against the part to be lubricated, and a counter weight adjustably mounted in the body of said second named elbow, as described.

4;. A device of the character described comprising the combination with a part to be lubricated of a supply pipe, an elbow se cured to said supply pipe, such elbow having a shoulder on its lower end, a semicircular flange on the under side of said elbow, another elbow mounted on the lower end of said first named elbow and abutting against said shoulder, said second named elbow having a semicircular recess adapted to receive said flange and a tubular member secured in said second named elbow and resting on the part to be lubricated, as described.

5. A device of the character described comprising the combination with a part to be lubricated, of a supply pipe, an elbow on said supply pipe, another elbow swiveled on said first named elbow and having a solid body, a discharge pipe leading from said second named elbow and rest-ing on the part to be lubricated, a counter weight having a rod projecting through said solid body of said second named elbow and a set screw projecting through said solid body and adapted to engage said rod, as described.

6. In a wheel flange lubricating appliance for railroad vehicles, the combination of a lubricant supply pipe adapted for connection at one end to a source of lubricant supply, and a curved depending discharge pipe pivoted at its upper end to said supply pipe and receiving the lubricant therefrom and swinging in a plane at an angle to the axis of the wheel and in position for its lower end to be applied by gravity to the throat of a wheel flange.

7. In a wheel flange lubricating appliance for railroad vehicles, the combination of a lubricant supply pipe adapted for connection at one end to a source of lubricant supply, a curved depending discharge pipe pivoted at its upper end to said supply pipe and In testimony whereof I aflix my signature receiving tihe lubricant tlierefrglm and svgingin presence of tWo Witnesses.

in in a p ane at an ang e to t e axis 0 the Wl ieel and in position for its lower end to be LELAND PRATT applied by gravity to the throat of a Wheel Witnesses:

flange, and a control valve regulating the FRANK H. CARTER,

flow of lubricant through the discharge pipe. JOSHUA B. WEBSTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

